function

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English

Etymology

From Middle French function, from Old French fonction, from Latin functiō (performance, execution), from functus, perfect participle of fungor (to perform, execute, discharge), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewg- (to enjoy).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈfʌŋ(k)ʃən/, /ˈfʌŋkʃn̩/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈfʌŋkʃən/, ,
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: func‧tion
  • Rhymes: -ʌŋkʃən

Noun

function (plural functions)

  1. What something does or is used for.
    Synonyms: aim, intention, purpose, role, use
    • 2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
      Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.
  2. A professional or official position.
    Synonyms: occupation, office, part, role
  3. An official or social occasion.
    Synonyms: affair, occasion, social occasion, social function
    Our hotel is hosting a function for all the warehouse workers on the night of April 18.
    1. (slang) A party.
  4. Something which is dependent on or stems from another thing; a result or concomitant.
    • 2008 June 1, A. Dirk Moses, “Preface”, in Empire, Colony, Genocide: Conquest, Occupation, and Subaltern Resistance in World History, Berghahn Books, →ISBN, page x:
      Though most of the cases here cover European encounters with non-Europeans, it is not the intention of the book to give the impression that genocide is a function of European colonialism and imperialism alone.
  5. A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.
  6. (mathematics) A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain.
    Synonyms: map, mapping, mathematical function, operator, transformation
    Hypernyms: relation, morphism
  7. (computing) A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result.
    Synonyms: procedure, routine, subprogram, subroutine, func, funct
  8. (biology) The physiological activity of an organ or body part.
  9. (chemistry) The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound.
  10. (anthropology) The role of a social practice in the continued existence of the group.

Hyponyms

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. For synonyms and antonyms you may use the templates {{syn|en|...}} or {{ant|en|...}}.
astronomy: Hyponyms of function
computing: Hyponyms of function
logic: Hyponyms of function
management: Hyponyms of function
mathematics: Hyponyms of function
physics: Hyponyms of function

Derived terms

terms derived from function
other derived terms (unsorted)

Related terms

terms derived from function

Translations

References

Verb

function (third-person singular simple present functions, present participle functioning, simple past and past participle functioned)

  1. (intransitive) To have a function.
    Synonyms: officiate, serve
  2. (intransitive) To carry out a function; to be in action.
    Synonyms: go, operate, run, work
    Antonym: malfunction

Related terms

Translations

Middle French

Noun

function f (plural functions)

  1. function (what something's intended use is)

Descendants

  • English: function
  • French: fonction